


The Truth

by lamuexte



Category: Free!, Free! Iwatobi Swim Club - Fandom, 残響のテロル | Zankyou no Terror | Terror in Resonance
Genre: AU, Ai is Lisa sorta, Doctor!Makoto, Evil!Haru, Haru is Five, M/M, Nagisa is Twelve, One Scene With Vomiting, Rei is Nine, Sexual Mentions of Water (don't ask youll see eventually), Smoking, Sousuke & Rin aren't exactly a ship, Starvation/Starving, Suggestive Themes Later On, Swearing Now And Then, The others are other people you'll meet, The storyline is pretty different from Zankyou No Terror, Verbal Abuse, Water Obsession, Yes he's evil in this, Zankyou No Terror & Free! Crossover, acts of terrorism, dark themes, mentions of self harm, reigisa - Freeform, scenes of death
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-27
Updated: 2016-08-25
Packaged: 2018-07-18 14:57:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 19,658
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7319755
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lamuexte/pseuds/lamuexte
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In a world where everything is at peace, two boys stand out. They grew up in abnormal circumstances, and now they're terrorists. Plain and simple right? No. This is a story of tragedy, a story of love in it's purest form. It dances on the thin thread of classic Romeo and Juliet with a dark twist. This is the story of two boys and the lives they affected.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Smoke

There was no sound in the apartment aside from the puffs of breath. The air smelled of cigarette smoke. There were two boys lying on the floor passing a cigarette from one mouth to the other. 

Silent words were passed through the air along with the smoke. The shorter of the two took a long drag, watching as the ashes dropped to the floor with a sigh.

He reached over to put the cigarette out in an overflowing ashtray, snatching another cigarette and lighting it. He handed it to his friend, who held it to his lips but didn’t take a drag. Both were tired. Both were sore. 

All of the lights were off. Aside from the twinkling stars peeking through the window, everything was dark. They liked it that way. It made the room cooler, and the intimacy of sharing a single cigarette and speaking unspoken words were all the more tangible. 

Soon the cigarette was put out again, but this time, no one reached to grab another. Now they just laid there, staring up at the ceiling and wondering what happened. Wondering what they could have done better. Wondering why they were going insane. 

A cold voice cut through the thick air, and both boys took a breath they didn’t know they were holding. “Nagisa…” The shorter boy was quiet at the use of his name, but he looked up at his partner with curiosity in his eyes. 

“It’s time.” Ah. That’s why they hadn’t grabbed another cigarette. They knew. The boy called Nagisa got to his feet and stretched, rubbing his eyes before stumbling over to the front door. He found the light switch. He turned it on. 

The apartment was flooded with light, and both boys winced. Electricity. It was what this city ran on. It was what they ran on. It was what bombs ran on. Bombs were a fickle creature - electricity was it’s disobeying slave. 

Nagisa looked over to his partner with a frown. “Your glasses Rei,” he murmured, taking them off the table and handing them to the taller man. 

A small mumble of thanks came from the taller man as he too got to his feet, putting the glasses on and walking over to his laptop. He checked the time on his laptop, then his watch, then the clock on the wall. It was five minutes to midnight. 

“You’re sure you put them all in place?,” Rei asked, glancing out the window and drumming his fingers on the table. Nagisa slid over to him on socked feet, wrapping his arms around his neck and leaning over his shoulder.

“Of course I did,” he whispered, a hint of a tease in his voice. “I’m the best at what I do.” His breath was lukewarm. It tickled the hairs on the back of Rei’s neck. 

Four to midnight. Nagisa stayed hung on Rei as the taller man typed a few things into the computer. “The video will be uploaded when everything goes off,” he told the other boy. “Think this will work?”

Nagisa laughed softly, and it sounded like music to Rei’s ears. His personal playlist was nothing compared to this boy’s laugh. Three to midnight. “I’m pretty sure,” he smiled. “Stay positive for once Rei. You’ll get headaches from being too stressed.”

It was Rei’s turn to crack a small smile, and Nagisa giggled again, kissing the spot right behind his ear. There were only two minutes left, and both boys felt dizzy. Whether it was from the number of cigarettes they smoked or the happiness of the moment, they didn’t care. 

They both fell to silence once more, and listened to the sound of the clock on the wall. The seconds ticked by - their debut ticked closer, their hearts ticked faster. One minute. 

Nagisa considered going to grab another cigarette, but forced himself to stay hunched over Rei. He just kept smiling. Rei looked up out the window, and Nagisa followed suit.

It was officially midnight, and the pulse of explosions rippled through the ground. There was a bright series of lights in the sky. People were screaming. Fireworks burst into color high in the sky. 

An archive collapsed downtown. 

The video uploaded, and the views skyrocketed as it instantly went viral. Two boys wearing beautiful, intricate Volto masks were laughing on screen. They said they wanted to show the world a sight they had never seen before. They said this was just the start, and that they didn’t want any trouble. 

_Hello Japan. And hello to the rest of the world while we’re at it. I am the Seeker. Ooh ooh! I’m the Treasurer!_ The short boy danced around. _We want you to know that this wasn’t a mere coincidence. This is just the start on something so beautiful that you won’t be able to tear your eyes away. We don’t want any trouble. Why? Because we are the Truth._

A few more words were said, but nothing too significant. Many people were saying it was fake, that these were just two boys playing a harmless prank due to the latest bombing. They didn’t understand. No one was hurt. Maybe that’s why. What terrorist didn’t hurt people?

“Good job Rei,” Nagisa smiled, kissing the back of his neck before standing upright. “Now close that silly thing and let’s take a break.” He closed the laptop with his fingertips, laughing and skipping off as Rei snapped a retort. 

The boy waited in their bunk, and smiled one more when he saw his grumpy partner entering the room. “Get out of my bed Nagisa,” Rei grumbled, stripping of his clothes and changing into pajamas before standing in front of his bed. 

“C’mon, you have the top bunk. Get off already.” His response was a cheeky grin, and he growled. “Don’t test my patience Nagisa! You know I’m already stressed enough as is, and you - ”

He yelped as he was pulled into bed, Nagisa squirming until he was pressed up against his chest. His arms were wrapped around the smaller boy, and even though he was annoyed, he couldn’t let go.

Nagisa stopped squirming and closed his eyes. “Let’s sleep together this time…,” he mumbled, already falling asleep in the warm embrace of his friend. 

Rei rolled his eyes, using one arm to pull his covers over them. “You’re impossible sometimes Nagisa,” he sighed, cradling the boy in his arms. He ran a hand through thick blonde hair. Nagisa was asleep.

The beginning of a headache creeped into the back of Rei’s head, but the warmth of this boy by his side kept it at bay. He fell into a restless sleep. Nagisa dreamt of the end of the world that night. Rei didn’t dream at all. 

Both boys were seventeen. They were both misunderstood. They were both enhanced. Nagisa could see things. Rei could think things. They both loved each other, but there was a problem with that.

They didn’t know that they loved each other. Not yet anyway. They didn’t kiss, and they rarely ever hugged. Nagisa was the one who had to force Rei to sleep with him. He knew it helped with the nightmares and the memories.

The closest thing to love between them was the cigarette they shared. Indirect kiss they called it. They didn’t know yet, but the cigarette they shared that night, and the fireworks that painted the sky pink and yellow; they were the beginning of something crazy.

They weren’t prepared for what was to come. 

 

“Sousuke! What the _hell_ is this!?” A detective with fiery red hair and anger blazing in his eyes caused the air to go thick with tension as he stared daggers at his partner. He stormed up to the taller detective, slamming a manilla folder on his desk.

“I’m about to go on my damn vacation, and then I get called in about something you reported? What’s wrong with you? They’re just some kids playing some pranks for christ’s sake. They couldn’t have been related to the bombs.”

The man named Sousuke just frowned and sighed, taking the folder and opening it with a scowl. “For your information Rin, it’s our duty to work on important cases and make sure they are contained. These boys destroyed an archive building downtown. Thankfully it closed at nine and everyone was gone, so no one was hurt.”

Rin rolled his eyes and collapsed into a chair, tapping his fingers on the desk irritatedly. “Fine, fine. I cancelled my vacation anyway. Told Gou I couldn’t make it out to see her.” There was a moment of silence. Sousuke flipped through the file, typed a few things on the computer, and grunted. 

“It’s a serious one Rin,” he grunted, sliding a page with information to the detective. “This is all we know about them. They call themselves the Seeker and the Treasurer, and they wear these masks.” He pulled up a picture of a Volto mask on screen. 

“The masks cover their whole face, so we couldn’t get any facial features. All we know is that they’re young, possibly teenagers.” Rin gaped at Sousuke for a moment before finally reading over the paper.

“Teenagers did _this?_ They must be pretty dedicated…” His partner smirked and let out a low chuckle that echoed throughout the office. Rin raised his eyebrow in curiosity, and leaned over the desk with a sneer. “What’s so funny?”

Sousuke waved Rin off, turning back to his computer and pulling a few things up. “I could’ve sworn that seconds ago you said this was a prank. Now you’re agreeing with me?” He clicked his tongue. “Gotta make up your mind sometimes Rin.” 

Rin just scowled, crossing his arms and leaning back in the chair. Sousuke was bringing up more files on the computer to show Rin, but the redhead wasn’t paying him any attention. He was trying to think of why someone would do this.

Not only did bombs go off, but so did fireworks all over the neighborhood around the archive. There was no moon out the night before, so they were bright against the dim stars and dark sky. None of this was making sense. 

“Rin? Rin!” He snapped back to attention and looked over at his partner, who was tapping the screen with an impatient look. “Just listen for once. It says here that the bomb might have been strategically placed.” 

Rin pursed his lips, glancing over at the screen before shrugging. “I would assume so. I mean, they did target an archive.” When Sousuke shook his head, Rin just blanked. 

“It’s not that. It’s that it was in a certain department. The archive collapsed sure, but only one department was entirely destroyed.” He clicked on a link and turned the screen to Rin. 

“Technology and Electronic Processing,” he grumbled. “Some of the other guys were trying to connect that to the fact that they did it on a night where it was dark out. It might just be a crazy coincidence, but who knows.”

Oh. That actually made sense. “So I’m assuming from the amount of research you’re doing on this, that this is our case right?” Sousuke nodded. Rin groaned. “Greaaaaat.” 

The rest of the day was filled with boring paperwork. There wasn’t another word or sign from the terrorists for two days. Police had been doubled and were told to patrol as much as they could. Work shifts were longer - both Rin and Sousuke stayed up late trying to find clues. 

A video was uploaded after those two days. The two boys in masks came on screen with their dazzlingly ominous masks, laughing as they told jokes. The shorter one sang out a riddle in a cheerful voice.

 _You will always find me in the past. I can be created in the present, but the future can never taint me. What am I?_ The police had twenty hours to solve it. Rin and Sousuke were desperate, and stayed up late into the night to figure out the riddle. A bomb would go off at seven the next evening. 

They were running along a stopwatch, being timed as every passing second came closer to their failure. The terrorists wanted clarity. The detectives wanted solace. 

Rei had another nightmare, and Nagisa wasn’t there to comfort him. The taller boy broke out in a shaky, fearful rage and destroyed their table. The ashtray fell and shattered. 

The blonde came home and comforted him, and they fell into a restless sleep once more in each other's arms. The bomb was going to go off the next day.

Nagisa dreamt of the end of the world again. Rei could only see darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New story wooooo!
> 
> This one will be slower to update than all my other ones just sayin. 
> 
> Hope you all enjoy!


	2. Starving

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sousuke and Rin overthink the riddle, and as consequence, the bomb goes off. Luckily it doesn't kill anyone. Nagisa hasn't been eating due to immense stress, but Rei still doesn't know why he's so stressed. They meet a boy named Ai. Nagisa likes him, but Rei doesn't.

Both Sousuke and Rin stayed up until two in the morning trying to solve the riddle. There were dark circles under their eyes from the lack of sleep, and their mugs had brown rings that showed how many times they had refilled them with coffee. 

Rin groaned, tapping his pencil on the paper in front of him. The riddle was written there, along with a bunch of crossed out answers and late night doodles. “I just can’t crack this,” he grumbled, tossing the pencil across the room with a cry. 

Sousuke grunted, typing some things into his laptop. He had been pretty quiet the whole night, stuck in a deep state of thought as he worked out the riddle. Then, like a lightbulb sparking to life, he got it.

He gasped, pulling away from his computer and turning to Rin. “I got it,” he rasped. “It’s history. Rin, the answer is history!” The redhead gaped at his partner, the shocked look slowly melting into a relieved smile. It was history. 

“That’s a great lead.” A pause. “Look up anything in the general vicinity of the city that has to do with history. Maybe it’s a school. Or maybe… Sousuke. Isn’t there a famous history museum twenty minutes from here? Look it up.” 

Rin leaned over the desk and watching as Sousuke looked it up. He was right - it was closed for construction for the next two weeks. Sousuke frowned. “I don’t get it.” 

“What do you mean you don’t get it?,” the redhead sneered. “It’s obviously there. They targeted an archive with important documents. A history museum can tie in with that.” Sousuke was wrong. He was right, he was sure of it. 

“I mean that, why would they target some place that’s closed for two weeks? I’d figure they’d want to target somewhere more crowded, with more people.” Sousuke sighed as he glanced back over at the file. “I mean they are terrorists.”

It was hard for Rin to imagine these boys, one of them definitely sounding like a child, capable of setting up such an elaborate design to toy with the police department. They were toying with the city as well, not at all hesitant to blow up buildings. 

But when Sousuke had a hunch, he had a hunch, and Rin knew to trust that. “I don’t know,” he sighed. “But in the morning we should send teams out to the history museum to search anyway. It’s our best option, okay?”

Sousuke nodded, closing his laptop and getting to his feet. “We should go get some sleep,” he muttered. “At least a few hours. We need to be on our best performance.” 

The redhead agreed, leaving his paper and pencil there and walking with his partner to the door. They were both too tired to celebrate the fact that they solved the riddle. Too, too tired. 

They headed home under the dim streetlights, talking about anything other than work to help them relax and unwind. It was two in the morning after all. 

Their homes were just four blocks down, so they didn’t bother driving to or from work. They felt the weight of sleep on their shoulders as they stumbled down the street in a drunk haze. 

 

A few miles away, Rei woke up with a tightness in his chest that he couldn’t shake. He couldn’t breathe. He was in a cold sweat, and he shakily slid out of bed to stumble over to the kitchen table. Glasses, glasses, cigarettes, where were they?

A small noise came from the bed, signaling he had woken his partner. Nagisa raised his head and blinked sleepily over at him. “Rei?,” he mumbled, rubbing his eyes. “Are you okay? You didn’t have a nightmare did you?”

The taller boy looked over at his friend with a deep whimper. He couldn’t stop trembling. This was one of the moments where he just couldn’t control his emotions, and his walls were breaking down. 

“Rei. Are you crying?” Was he? He put a hand to his cheeks and found they were wet. His vision was more blurry than usual, due to the fact he didn’t have his glasses and tears clouded the rest of his eyesight. 

Without a word, Nagisa climbed down from his bunk and walked over to Rei. He was half asleep, his eyes barely cracked open and his shirt partially tucked in his shorts. One side of his head was plastered with hair, and his walk resembled a limping man. 

He came up to Rei and simply planted his face in his chest. He stood there, arms at his side, breathing in the soft scent of rosemary and thyme. The scent of his shirts was heavenly. 

Tears continued to trickle down Rei’s cheeks. He just couldn’t stop. He couldn’t stop even if he wanted to. Having Nagisa there, face in his chest; it didn’t help. His heart took flight, fluttering like a bird that was frantic to escape. 

“Hug me you idiot,” Nagisa mumbled. It took a good minute, but he wrapped his arms around the blonde gently, relishing the warmth before tightening his grip and pulling him even closer. He leaned down, nuzzling the soft locks. He smelled like strawberry shampoo and spearmint toothpaste. 

He stood there for what seemed like a lifetime, a single minute passing by instead. Rei could stay in that spot forever. He didn’t know why, but the blonde gave him solace. He felt safe and sane with him around. 

Rei smiled. He smiled for the first time in years; it was a soft smile, and it was directed towards the blonde with all the warmth and light in the world. He didn’t feel scared anymore. The tears were drying on his cheeks. 

He didn’t thank Nagisa. The hug was enough to express his gratitude. Both knew it was a sign of caring. A sign of love. 

They were good at this, for they could communicate without even trying. Their words passed through each breath they took, through each heartbeat. Nagisa almost fell asleep. Rei realized he might be drowning in the poison they called love. Things got complicated. 

Without speaking a single word, Nagisa stood back, looking up at Rei with groggy eyes. He looked tempting, face dazed and body warm. His eyes, though sleepy, were still bright. He took Rei’s hand, and the taller boy’s breath hitched. 

Pink eyes met lilac, and Nagisa smiled. It was time to go back to bed. The blonde dragged Rei back to their bunk, sliding into the bottom one with no problem. Rei didn’t argue for once, and climbed in after him.

Rei’s breath tickled Nagisa’s ear, and he giggled. How he could stay happy all the time, Rei would never know. He took Nagisa into his arms and pressed him close, breaking the boundaries and pressing a soft kiss to his forehead.

Nagisa didn’t mind. He already knew that there were unspoken feelings between them. They loved each other; it was easy to see. The silence cracked as the blonde spoke, his light, sleepy voice echoing throughout the apartment.

“We have our first day of school tomorrow,” he whispered, breathing into Rei’s neck as he rested there. Rei blushed for the first time. He felt weird. “Do you think anyone will solve the riddle?”

“I don’t know,” Rei grunted, hushing Nagisa by pulling him closer. He intertwined their legs together, one between the other. “The police are smart. I hope they don’t solve it. I don’t want them to win yet.”

A small _“hm”_ came from the blonde. There was hot breath on Rei’s neck again as he breathed out. Rei felt weird again. His heart thumped hard in his chest, and he forgot about the nightmare immediately. He couldn’t figure out what this feeling was. He was in love, but he didn’t know it.

Nagisa kept breathing into his neck. The small blonde had fallen asleep right away, not moving from their position - legs intertwined, arms wrapped around one another, lips on his collarbone. Rei was glad he didn’t move.

After laying there for half an hour memorizing Nagisa’s scent of strawberry and mint, Rei fell asleep and actually dreamed of something. He dreamed that he was happy, that the Institution never happened. Sadly, Nagisa wasn’t in his dream.

Nagisa giggled in his sleep now and then, dreaming about swimming in the ocean and eating strawberry ice cream on a ferris wheel. Rei was there, and he was smiling all the time.

 

Rei and Nagisa were late to school. It wasn’t the best way to start their day, or their week, but it was because of good cause. They had slept in just half an hour late, because Nagisa refused to untangle himself from Rei, and Rei’s body felt too heavy.

That was the best sleep either one of them had had in the past few years. There were absolutely no regrets. Rei and Nagisa parted ways in the hallway, waving to each other, Nagisa smiling. They disappeared into their classes, prepared to learn stuff they already knew twenty times over. 

“Nice to meet you all! Sorry I was late. I’m Akira Hazuki!” Nagisa grinned at the other students, a few looking at him weird. A silver haired boy in the back thought he was too cheerful. 

“I really _really_ like anything strawberry, and I’m really bad at speaking English. I hope you all can accept me into your class!” Weird words. The teacher told him to pick any empty seat, but he headed over to a girl near the window. 

“Do you think we could trade?,” he asked, bowing to her. Everyone was shocked at his kindness and politeness. “I like sitting near the window. I feel claustrophobic otherwise.” 

The girl just nodded, stunned as she gathered up her stuff and moved to an empty desk. Nagisa sat down, smiling as he brought out his notebook, pencil, and penguin eraser. The teacher started her lesson. 

The silver haired boy kept staring at him. He was overly polite also. Strange kid. He didn’t trust him for a single second. The boy watched throughout class while taking simple notes. The Akira kid hadn’t opened his notebook once. 

He just stared out the window, as though he was looking for something. His lips were parted slightly in blissful interest, and his eyes were sparkling as though he could see things. The boy in the back, Ai, wondered what he saw. 

Ai wasn’t a stalker or anything, but when Nagisa stuffed his belongings in his bag and hopped up from his chair seconds before the bell rang, he decided to follow him. The blonde had skidded into the hallway before anyone else, running down the hall to the last classroom and waiting there, bouncing up and down on his feet.

Ai went over to the wall and stood there, pretending to busy himself with getting out his bento as he snuck looks. A tall, blue haired boy came out of the room, standing out with his bright red glasses and deep frown. His eyes were blank - no emotion.

Nagisa jumped up to hug the taller man, exclaiming his name (Ai thought he heard ‘Kichirou’) and giggling. He still didn’t have a single emotion. Nagisa and Rei left the building. Ai followed.

They had gone to a secluded spot surrounded by beautiful trees. The grass was shaded, and they sat there cross-legged while Rei ate from his bento. Nagisa didn’t eat anything. He was chattering on excitedly about the sounds he saw.

The sounds he saw. What on earth could that mean? “The teacher’s voice was the most pale blue I’d ever seen Rei!” Wait wasn’t his name Kichirou? “It was so so pretty. And there was a bluejay chirping outside - his sound was pretty too.”

Rei just nodded while listening, focusing more on eating the food laid out before him. Ai felt a twinge of sympathy for the blonde - it looked like what he was talking about wasn’t important. 

Then, Rei lowered his voice, low enough that Ai couldn’t hear. They bent their heads towards each other, Nagisa’s smile replaced with a straight line as they talked. Must be something serious.

After a few minutes, both of them stopped talking, and Rei just slowly turned his head to look at his surroundings. His eyes landed on Ai, and the boy felt himself seize up. Those lilac eyes were just a clear slate, and they were staring right at him.

Rei whispered something to Nagisa, and Nagisa hopped up from his seat on the floor. He looked over at Ai and smiled, waving before jogging over. Ai debated running away or not. He ran.

But, unfortunately, he wasn’t a good runner, and Nagisa caught up to him before he could get far. He grabbed his wrist, giggling as he hopped in front of him. “Hi there!,” he beamed, eyes bright as he laughed again. “I’m Akira! Sorry about my friend there. He doesn’t like strangers.”

His pink eyes looked Ai up and down. “What’s your name? Are we in the same class? I’m in class 3-B by the way.” He was chattering on again, like an annoying little bird. Ai didn’t mind. 

“I’m Aiichirou,” he muttered quietly. “And yes, we’re in the same class. I sit a few seats behind you.” Nagisa gasped in delight and bounced again. His eyes were sparkling. Ai thought that look of wonder was the same as when he was in class. He wondered what it was this time.

The blonde could see a feather of color float up into the sky and disappear. It was pale yellow. Aiichirou’s voice was absolutely beautiful; he had never seen pale yellow before. 

“Well it’s nice to meet you Ai,” Nagisa winked, a silly smile on his face. Ai grumbled something under his breath. He didn’t want to be called Ai. 

Nagisa looked back at Rei, and they shared a small look. Rei looked defensive, his eyes gaurded and his body stiff. He slowly shook his head. Nagisa nodded with a smile and grabbed Ai’s arm.

“Why don’t you come eat with us?,” he snickered. “I’m sure Kichirou won’t mind.” Ai looked over at the taller man skeptically and gulped; he certainly didn’t look friendly. The blonde plopped down on the ground, stealing a vegetable from his friend’s bento with a sly smile.

As Rei scolded Nagisa that it was his fault he didn’t bring a lunch in the first place, Ai slowly reached into his bag and finally pulled out his lunch. He opened it and sighed. 

It was just a normal bento; rice, vegetables, meat, etcetera. He wished his mother would put in the time to put in a cookie or a slice of cake. Something besides the norm. He realized after staring down at his lunch that he wasn’t hungry.

“Do you want mine?,” he asked the blonde. Nagisa glanced over at him, then the bento. His eyes lost their shine. He just simply shook his head, politely declining before turning back to Rei. He wanted to continue their conversation. 

“Are you sure Akira?,” Rei asked, voice laced with a hint of concern. “You’re never one to turn down free food. Are you feeling okay?” Ai chuckled to himself. So the giant _did_ have emotions. 

A lame excuse came from the blonde, something about just not being hungry or feeling a little under the weather. Rei still frowned at him, but accepted the excuse. He’d ask again later. 

Rei and Nagisa were odd people, and they acted weird around each other. It was as if there was a hidden tension between them. It was oddly palpable. The air grew thick, and Ai felt uncomfortable.

He felt his pocket vibrate. Another text. It vibrated again. “I think I’m actually going to get going,” he rasped, quickly getting to his feet and throwing the bento into the trash can. “Nice to meet you both.” 

And at that, he walked away. The blonde pouted and complained a little, but Rei quickly hushed him up by shaking his head. They had to talk anyway.

 

Rei got home hours before Nagisa did. Nagisa insisted that he go out shopping, for a both ingredients for dinner and a few other things. Rei agreed. He was tired again.

He was dozing off at the table, for he had been watching the clock on his laptop. It was five thirty in the afternoon, and there was no news that the police had disabled or found the bomb. He knew the history museum was an easy target. Why weren’t they getting it? Were they overthinking it?

Rei jumped slightly at the soft click of the door. Nagisa strolled into the apartment, setting the keys to his bike and two bags heavy with ingredients and personal items on the table. “I’m home,” he announced. Rei frowned. He sounded exhausted. He never sounded exhausted. 

“I’m making udon tonight,” he sighed, pulling ingredients out of one of the bags and setting them on the counter. “Hope you’re hungry.” Rei was hungry. He was starving actually. He just wondered if Nagisa was hungry.

The blue-haired boy got to his feet, yawning and rubbing his eyes under his glasses. “Sounds delicious,” he mumbled, walking over to the table and sitting down on one of the stools. “What else did you buy?”

He grabbed the second bag and opened it, looking through the contents with disinterest. There were some bars of soap, more strawberry shampoo, a new hairbrush, and were those clothes at the bottom?

He pulled out a shirt, the material a soft, dark purple. It looked too big to be for Nagisa. “That’s for you,” Nagisa said as if he had read Rei’s mind, chopping up some mushrooms. “You keep wearing the same shirts over and over, so I got you that and then a nice button up.” Rei smiled, but hid it by holding the shirt up to the light. His friend was so kind. 

Nagisa moved on to chopping up some zucchini. He knew Rei loved zucchini. Rei was examining the button up. It was nice - he’d be sure to wear it to please the blonde. Speaking of the blonde, he wasn’t as talkative as he usually was. 

“Are you okay Nagisa?,” Rei asked for the second time that day. “You seem out of it today.” He saw Nagisa shrug, sprinkling some salt in the boiling water. The silver knife reflected the kitchen light as he pushed the vegetables and noodles into the pot. 

“I’m just tired,” he replied, trying to sound chipper like he always was. Rei could tell it was forced, and got off the stool. He made his way over to the shorter boy, and wrapped his arms around his stomach. 

“You’re a horrible liar,” he whispered, resting his chin on Nagisa’s head. The strawberry scent was gone - he needed a shower. Nagisa stiffened up before shoving Rei off, and Rei frowned. Was it him? Had he done something wrong?

It wasn’t until six that dinner was ready. They both said thanks for the food, and Rei dug right in. Nagisa stared at the noodles with a look of disgust. He picked up a few noodles with his chopsticks, eating them slowly. It looked like he was forcing himself to eat.

Rei watched, and then he realized what was happening. Nagisa had done something similar to this before, when they were younger. Whenever the blonde got stressed out, he didn’t know what to do with himself, so he did things that caused self harm. The first time this happened, he wouldn’t take any baths or showers. Rei had to force him to take a bath now and then. 

Now he wasn’t eating. Was that it? “Nagisa. Why won’t you eat anything?” More importantly, why was he stressed? He was perfectly fine two days ago when the first bomb went off. 

Nagisa stared at the noodles, then at Rei, and then at the floor. He suddenly grew stiff, and he shoved the bowl of noodles out of the way. Rei got splashed with hot broth, and he felt a surge of rage as he prepared to yell at Nagisa. 

Until he saw that his friend was doubled over and hurling onto the floor. 

Rei panicked, quickly rushing over to his side and rubbing his back. Nagisa had thrown up what little food he had in his body, along with some disgusting looking bile, and now he was just dry heaving. Tears fell down his cheeks with each heave. Nothing was coming out. 

“Calm down Nagisa,” Rei whispered, holding the blonde close as he attempted to comfort him. “Take a deep breath.” Nagisa just nodded and took a shaky breath. He was boiling under Rei’s touch. He had a fever, but Rei knew he wasn’t sick. It was because he hadn’t eaten anything in the past two days. 

Rei looked up at the clock. It was ten past six. The bomb was to go off in fifty minutes. He didn’t care about watching the bomb go off. He probably couldn’t see it from their apartment window anyway. It would be on the news, so he wasn’t worried. 

He wanted Nagisa to take a shower, but he was afraid the smaller boy would collapse from exhaustion. A bath. Yeah, a bath. That would work. “Are you done?,” he asked, watching as Nagisa slowly nodded and looked up at him. His eyes were dull.

He carefully lifted Nagisa up from the stool, carrying him gently in his arms. He took him to the bathroom and softly sat him down on the floor. He kept the toilet seat up just in case. Rei smiled at Nagisa to try and reassure him - when the hot water started filling the tub, Nagisa found the energy to smile back. 

It was awkward, but Rei managed to help Nagisa strip of his clothes and stand up. He himself stripped, and he climbed into the tub before holding out a hand for Nagisa. Nagisa understood, and tiredly stepped into the tub. 

They had never actually bathed together. Sure, when they were younger Rei would make sure Nagisa bathed, but they never sat in the same tub together. Rei felt weird. Nagisa felt even weirder. The blonde laughed to break the tension. “This is awkward,” he snickered, voice cracking. 

Rei just let out a deep breath before reaching down to cup his hands and gather water in them. “Stay still please,” he murmured, lifting his hands up and dumping the water on Nagisa’s head. Nagisa sighed blissfully at the warm water, and sat still as Rei repeated the process over and over. 

Rei coated his fingers in hot pink shampoo, rubbing it into Nagisa’s hair with a scowl. He could tell that his friend was enjoying this far too much. “Wash yourself while I do this,” he grumbled, handing the blonde a bar of soap. 

Neither one spoke another word as they bathed. Exactly at seven, the bomb went off and destroyed most of the history museum. Rei didn’t know why they targeted that place. It had no importance to their actual cause. 

As Nagisa slept in Rei’s bed, the taller boy cleaned up the uneaten udon and the throw up in the dining room. He turned on the news and watched it until he grew tired. 

A few blocks away, two detectives were cursing up a storm in the middle of the street. They were pissed that they had over thought the placing of the bomb. They’d stop the bomb the next time.

Rei was purposely going to make it easy next time. He hated winning so much. He eventually went over and curled up with Nagisa in bed. He still had a fever, and he was trembling weakly. Rei took a dare and kissed Nagisa on the lips.

They didn’t go to school the next day, and spent the day in each other’s arms instead. The detectives found another video, pre-uploaded, and swore that they wouldn’t give up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yaaaay chapter two!
> 
> Udon consists of different ingredients and thick wheat noodles. 
> 
> What will happen in the next chapter? Rei is hellbent on finding out why Nagisa is so stressed out, and both Sousuke and Rin need to step up their game. Will they find the next bomb? What's Ai's personal life like? Find out next time.


	3. Craving

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ai can't handle his home life, and Rei figures out why Nagisa is starving himself. He then realizes his feelings for the blonde, and his happy to know they are reciprocated. Nagisa tries to fix his problem by himself. Haru is coming.

Rei woke up to find the smell of waffles hitting his nose. Waffles? He sat up groggily, rubbing his eyes and blindly patting the spot besides him. Nagisa wasn’t there, and the mattress was cold. 

Ah. Nagisa must’ve woken up before him and started to make breakfast. Rei knew he was the cook of the house, and he always insisted on making them as many meals as he could. The taller boy couldn’t complain - his dishes were to die for. 

As he stumbled to his feet sleepily and fumbled around the nightstand for his glasses, he heard the sound of a kettle boiling. “Are you making tea Nagisa?,” he mumbled, walking out into the kitchen. The hardwood floor made his feet cold. 

The blonde stood there pouring tea into two mugs. He had _serious_ bedhead - parts of his hair were sticking up in different places, and other parts were plastered to his head. Rei had let Nagisa wear one of his shirts after some serious begging, so one sleeve hung low off of his shoulder, exposing his collarbone and shoulder to the light. His skin looked so smooth… 

There was a single plate with two golden waffles on it. Nagisa carefully poured warm maple syrup on them. He wasn’t smiling. 

“I made you breakfast,” he rasped, and Rei cringed when he heard that Nagisa’s voice was scratchy. Nagisa pointed at the cup of tea. Ah. It was for his throat. He decided to smile at Nagisa to help reassure him that he understood. The corners of Nagisa’s mouth went up.

“Did you sleep well?,” Nagisa then asked, pushing the waffles towards Rei before taking a seat at the table. He grabbed his mug of tea and took a long sip, sighing blissfully at how it soothed his throat. “It’s just a light ginger tea with lemon in it,” he added. “I couldn’t remember if you liked ginger or not though.”

Rei chuckled, gladly taking the tea and the waffles and digging in. “This is delicious Nagisa,” he commented, taking a swig of his tea before going back to his waffles. He was relieved to see Nagisa smile from the praise. After taking the day off from school the day before, the boy was starting to get a bit more lively. 

The sound of silverware clinking on the plate and chewing filled the quiet atmosphere, and lilac eyes quietly watched as Nagisa sipped on his tea. “Why are you so stressed out?”

He watched in disinterest as Nagisa choked on his tea, coughing into his hand and wiping his mouth before looking up at his friend with a nervous glance. “Stressed? C’mon Rei stop being silly. I’m not stressed out at all.” 

Rei just frowned, and reached over to grab Nagisa’s chin. He pulled on him gently, and the blonde had to rest an elbow on the table to keep from falling over. “You’re lying,” Rei grumbled. “You were a mess the other night. And on top of that, you’re still not eating.” 

Nagisa just sighed, eyes sad as he tried to look away. Rei just jerked him back so he could look into his eyes. “Don’t lie to me Nagisa,” he muttered. “We’ve been friends for years, and you haven’t lied to me once. If it makes you feel better, I _do_ care about you, so you better spit it out.” 

The smaller boy glared at Rei and pulled his hand off his chin. “Don’t tell me what to do Rei,” he retorted, getting to his feet abruptly. Nagisa’s mug spilled. Rei gasped as the tea spilled on the blonde’s hand. 

He swore loudly, crying out as he shook his hand, trying to do anything to stop the burn. His friend just got to his feet and rushed over to him, taking the arm of his uninjured hand and dragging him over to the sink.

Turning on the cold water, he gently put Nagisa’s hand under the flow. Nagisa was looking away, so Rei couldn’t see his face, but he could feel him trembling. “Nagisa - god just _talk_ to me! I can’t help you if you - ” He broke off as Nagisa finally turned to face him.

Tears were streaming down his cheeks, and Rei could see something crack. His friend let out an earth-shattering sob before collapsing down to his knees. Something was definitely up. Rei patiently crouched besides Nagisa, cautiously setting a hand on his hair and tangling his fingers in it. He felt Nagisa relax slightly. 

“I saw the cops the other day,” Nagisa wailed. “When I went out to buy you that charger, the cops came into the store. I was in line at the checkout and I overheard them talking about the terrorists… They were saying horrible things about us Rei!”

Rei felt his heart break at seeing his friend so distressed. “They said we were horrible human beings,” he continued, words forced. “That people like us shouldn’t even be here. Rei we’ve tried so hard to do all this! Why - _why…”_ He broke off into another sob, and Rei just gently pulled him into a hug.

“They just don’t understand Nagisa,” he whispered. “I promise you, what we’re doing is for a good cause. Please…” He paused, taking a deep breath. “Don’t cry. I hate seeing you cry…” Nagisa froze up under his arms, and after a few sniffles, he stopped crying. 

Rei was relieved, and he pulled away with a smile. He knew Nagisa believed him. He knew, in the end, they were right. “Never let a cop’s words get to you,” he murmured, using his thumb to brush away the tears on the blonde’s cheeks. “Okay…?”

The smaller boy actually cracked a real smile for the first time in a while, and he nodded. Rei made everything better. His heart fluttered, and he felt hot. Oh no, was the fever back again?

Rei saw the unfocused look in his eyes, but smiled back. “Now. Let’s get that hand bandaged up okay? We have school on Monday.” Nagisa just smiled, and both of them got to their feet slowly. 

The blonde watched as Rei delicately dried off his hand with a towel - the stinging was still there, but the cold water had helped. He grabbed a white bandage from a drawer and cut off a long piece. Nagisa held still as his friend wrapped it gently around each finger, finishing with the palm and back of his hand. 

Then, unexpectedly, Rei smiled and brought the bandaged hand up to his lips. He just rested his burnt knuckles there, and Nagisa blushed as he felt each small warm breath through his bandages. 

“Now,” Rei smirked, pulling the hand away. “I’m sure the cops will be able to solve the riddle for the bomb this time. I made it easy, so all we have to do is sit back and watch okay?” Nagisa nodded. Okay. 

 

_Guess who’s baaaaack!? That’s right! It’s us, the Truth! This is the Seeker. I’m the Treasurer! Cool names right!? Hope you like them. Anyway, we have a new silly riddle for you policemen. Listen carefully. What runs but has no feet, and roars but has no mouth? You have until noon tomorrow to figure it out. Have fun!_

As Sousuke listened to the video for the fourth time that day, Rin threw a dart at the mini dartboard in his office cubicle. “We already figured out that it’s water dumbass,” he grumbled. “Why do you keep insisting I’m wrong?”

Sousuke turned to Rin with a scowl. “I’m not saying it’s wrong Rin. I’m just saying that it makes no sense. It’s too easy. I mean, they had a connection before, but water? They’re obviously tricking us.” Rin rolled his eyes. Sousuke scowled again. 

“We should still send out teams to the major areas with water,” Rin murmured. “The lake, the bay, etcetera. I bet it’s the bay - they keep targeting places with not many civilians. That place is more secluded than the lake.” 

The other detective sighed and ran a hand through his messy black hair. His partner had a point, and he had to trust his instincts now and then. “Fine,” he grumbled. “Because we’re tight on time, and we only have five hours left, I’ll agree with you.” He paused before blushing in embarrassment. “Just this once. Got it idiot?”

Rin grinned, throwing the last dart before grabbing his cellphone from his pocket. “Got it. I’m right for once! When the bomb is disabled, let’s go out for drinks to celebrate my greatness.” Sousuke sighed while Rin called up their boss.

After explaining the details to their boss, Rin hung up and let his shoulders slack. “We can finally relax,” he sighed. “They’re sending out teams. He said we could go. Wanna go to the bay with me?” Sousuke glanced up at him with a frown. 

“I guess. We have nothing better to do.” Rin chuckled, grabbing his coat off the edge of the chair and getting to his feet. There was the Sousuke he knew and loved. He couldn’t resist a smile at seeing how grumpy his friend was. 

The two headed to the door, Rin cracking jokes to try and lighten the mood. Sousuke turned away at one point, hiding his smile. “Let’s grab some bagels on the way there,” he muttered, clearing his throat. Rin hastily agreed. His friend smiled again. 

At approximately nine twenty-seven in the morning, the news went ablaze with the newest story. _The bomb has been disabled. The police arrived just in time. It seems the terrorists got beaten at their own game. Is there nothing the police department can’t do for this beloved city? Let’s hope this is the last bomb and pray for our city’s safety. Thank you to the detectives on this case._

“I knew I was right,” the redhead said with a smirk. The two detectives were sitting on a bench, overlooking the bay. Their teams were beginning to disperse, the news crews breaking up. Sousuke finished his asiago bagel as Rin started his sesame seed one. They didn’t feel like going back to work that day. 

Instead, Rin suggested that they go to the nearby park and hang out for a while before heading home. They both needed sleep, but doing something relaxing was exactly what they needed. For a moment, it was like the bombings hadn’t happened. 

For once, they had won. These terrorists didn’t know what they were up against. Maybe it was too easy. Maybe the police were getting stronger. They didn’t know, but they didn’t care. 

Sousuke let out a bellowing laugh when Rin tripped over a bush in the park. Rin found himself laughing along, and their worries melted away.

Oh those silly detectives… If only they knew of the other problems bubbling under their city. The problems that were unseen, hidden, personal. 

They stopped a bomb. There was a boy being slammed into the wall by his shrieking mother. His head was pounding. His wrists were bleeding. There was a terrorist starving himself to the point where he couldn’t stand. He was scared of dying. There was a terrorist who wanted to show the world a better way of life. He had nightmares that made the world go dark and ring with his screams. 

But then again, they stopped a bomb. 

 

Ai cried on his bed at the same time every night. Eight thirty, after he got home from a day out and his mother thrashed him around like a rag doll in a baby’s hand. Eight thirty, after he realized there were no more bandages under the sink. 

He could never leave, could he? His mother would never let him leave. Even when he was thirty-three and praying to get a life, she wouldn’t let him leave. 

Tonight was no different. He had spent the day thinking about why the students he had met the other day had only gone to school for one day before disappearing. Maybe they were sick. He didn’t know, but he found himself oddly even more lonely without them there to bug him.

After school, he sat at a nearby bench and did his homework. All of it. It was easy for him, boring even. He then spent the rest of his day wandering the streets of the city, sitting on benches, people watching. 

There was an elderly lady struggling to carry her groceries to her car. There was a homeless man digging through the trash for a scrap of food just feet away from where Ai sat. He gave him his uneaten lunch. The man cried and thanked him. 

There was a mother and a child going down the sidewalk, the child licking her pink ice cream and skipping to the sound of her own humming. Her mother looked unbearably tired, but kept a worn smile on her young lips. Ai smiled when he saw them. The girl smiled back. 

He liked seeing how the world worked. He was always lonely, propped up against the wall of the bathroom every day at lunch, or hiding in the bushes, or standing awkwardly by his locker. He would pretend to be looking for something. What was it he was looking for?

Freedom? No. He knew that would never be an option. The second freedom was within his reach, he’d stretch out his fingertips to grasp it and it would be gone. Sometimes he thought he was looking for nothing, stumbling around blindly in a city that was far too big. 

Aiichirou Nitori had no home either. He lived in a prison cell, walking in and shutting the door, locking it before his mother could get her hands on him. Though usually, she’d be standing there, eyes wide with shock and frantic fear. 

Every night she’d grab his arms and ask him why he didn’t come home until sundown. Where was he? What was he doing? Was he plotting revenge? Was he going to leave her? She was a madwoman; crazy in the head. He didn’t want to leave her, but she was making it hard to stay.

His mother wouldn’t realize she grabbed him too tight, her manicured nails digging into his skin. She wouldn’t realize that she was slamming him into the wall over and over and over again, causing his head to snap back and dull ache to resound in the back of his skull. She wouldn’t realize that he was crying when she let go, and that he would do things to himself in the bathroom. 

Sometimes he wondered; would she really realize if he left? Probably not. She didn’t realize when his dad left her. Not for a while. 

Ai laid in bed, tears dried on his cheeks as he stared up at the ceiling. Where was the blonde that pestered him that one day in school? Akira? Maybe that was his name. It was the weekend, so he was hoping he would see the boy at school the next week. 

With a sigh, the silver-haired boy turned on the small radio in his room and tuned in to the daily news. Apparently a new bomb had been found and disabled. He was confused. The videos and bombs were so strategic beforehand. Were they getting easier, or was that just him?

He listened to the news, then classical music. When the classical music got boring, he listened to jazz, then pop, then static… He shut it off and tried to go to bed. Unfortunately, sleep didn’t come. He cried again. 

 

Rei had decided to wait until the next day to put up a video. He said that it would make the police think they had won. Nagisa had giggled and agreed with him. 

After letting his secret out to his friend, the blonde had been subjected to the nicest things Rei could ever do for him. He was given his favorite teas all day, and Rei actually let him play any music he wanted as they worked on bombs. A snip here, a snip there, turning of a bolt, a singer hit a high note. 

Nagisa made Rei dinner again that night. “I’m not ready to eat yet,” he told the blue-haired boy with a smile. “But I promise you, I’ll work on it.” Rei’s eyes melted with a warmth that made Nagisa’s heart flutter. 

Then, after working more on the bombs, Nagisa insisted that they put on a horror movie. He knew Rei was scared of them, but he needed a good scare now and then. It was eleven at that point in time, and he was laughing loudly as Rei gripped onto his arm with a pale face.

“It’s just a movie silly,” he snickered. “Don’t take it too seriously.” Rei hid his face in Nagisa’s chest and whimpered. The blonde stared down at him, then smiled softly, running his nimble fingers through his friend’s short hair. It felt soft, and smelled like thyme. He should ask Rei why he liked thyme so much.

When the movie was ten minutes from being over, Rei mumbled something into Nagisa’s chest. “What?,” Nagisa smiled. “I can’t hear you with your face covered with my shirt.” Rei groaned and pulled his face away. Nagisa saw that he had tears in his eyes, but he also saw that he was tired. 

“If I said I liked you, would that be weird?” 

The smaller boy stared at him. Just stared, blinked, stared some more. Then he laughed. “Funny joke Rei,” he snickered. “I know you like me. We wouldn’t be friends if you didn’t like me.” He laughed some more, but when he cracked his eyes open, he saw that Rei was frowning.

“No… I mean. I like you. As in, y’know… romantically.” Nagisa felt that fluttering feeling in his heart again, and he could’ve sworn he stopped breathing. Where was this coming from? Rei wasn’t one to normally just blurt out things like this. He was an emotionless statue - he admired Rei for that. 

“I realized that, after we set off the first bomb here, that I cared for you. Not just as a friend but, I seriously cared for you. I didn’t want you to get hurt, and I actually considered turning the bombs off.” He adjusted his glasses and looked down in embarrassment. “When you starved yourself to the point of getting sick, I was scared… And you know I’m not one to show emotion a lot.”

Nagisa nodded, listening as Rei continued to explain. He explained how his heart always raced when they were together, how his breathing was shallow whenever they were too close, how he didn’t have any nightmares when they slept in the same bed. He told Nagisa about the kiss. 

“I kissed you that night,” he whispered. The blonde felt his face heat up, and he let out a choked noise. He could’ve sworn that had happened, but he passed it off as a dream. “You looked so sick and frail in my bed, and I couldn’t help myself. I thought, ‘maybe if I kiss him, he’ll get better.’”

Nagisa felt tears prickle in his eyes. He heard the softness in Rei’s voice. Rei was scared. He hadn’t heard a single word come from the blonde this whole time, and it was making his stomach churn anxiously. When he finally did speak, Rei thought he would pass out from anticipation.

“Ah… I um… I see.” He was quiet again, looking down at his hands as though trying to think of what to say. He just had to say it back. He loved Rei; he always had loved him. If he loved him back, why couldn’t he just say it.”

“I -” He couldn’t say it. Rei looked like he was in pain, and Nagisa felt horrible. Then, the solution came to him, and he smiled over at Rei. “This is how I feel about you,” he whispered, leaning forward to press a soft kiss to the boy’s lips. 

Rei let out a strangled noise, causing Nagisa to quickly pull away in concern. “Oh god was that wrong?,” he rasped. Before he could look up however, he was shoved down onto the couch in a passionate kiss that he just couldn’t keep up with. 

So this is what it was like to see Rei with emotions. He had never been one to let out his sadness or anger out easily, but love - Nagisa could feel the emotion running through his fingertips as he tugged at the smaller boy’s shirt; he could feel it in his breathing as he let out hot puffs of air between the times their teeth clashed together; he could feel it in the racing heartbeat against his own.

This was what love felt like. The Institute always said they wouldn’t be loved, that they hadn’t been loved, but they were liars. Rei whispered his name. His voice had gone from a sad, murky blue to a beautiful lavender that filled up the room. 

The kiss soon ended, and both boys pulled away with a dazed look in their eyes and smile on their faces. They had never been so happy in the entirety of their lives. Nagisa pledged at that moment, that he’d do better. He’d eat for Rei. He’d get better for Rei. He’d live for Rei.

They slept in Rei’s bed that night, or at least, tried to. Nagisa couldn’t find it in himself to fall asleep, even though he was in the comforting arms of his new boyfriend. Lover. Partner. The word _‘partner’_ held a much deeper meaning to them now.

The blonde stayed awake until one that morning, and found pains growing in his stomach. He was delirious from the hunger he felt. He hadn’t craved anything until now, and the hunger made his mouth water and his body tremble. 

Making sure not to wake Rei, he carefully slid out from his arms and crawled over him to stand on the floor. The floor was freezing. He really needed to invest in some slippers. With a stagger, he headed over to the kitchen and looked around.

There was a cabinet over there with crackers and nuts. A pantry held chips, uncooked pasta, peanut butter, snacks, cereals. The refrigerator had leftovers and meats and vegetables and fruits and ice cream and tofu. He wanted all of it. 

Like an animal, he tore into the pantry with a ravenous growl. He opened every box he could and shoved a handful of potato chips into his mouth, then a whole box of Pocky, then half a box of sweetened corn flakes. He felt sick.

He ran over to the fridge and wrenched it open, finishing an apple in three bites and a stick of celery in four. He downed half a carton of milk, the white liquid dribbling down his chin and staining the front of his shirt. He grabbed a tub of strawberry ice cream from the freezer and used his hands to take out scoop after scoop and swallow it down. He felt sick. 

The udon he hadn’t eaten a few nights ago laid in a bowl covered in clear wrap, and he didn’t even bother to heat it up, slurping down the noodles and noisily chewing on the mushrooms and zucchini and tofu. He drank all of the broth. His stomach lurched. He felt sick.

He fell to the floor, the bowl shattering on the tile as a hand clutched his stomach and he heaved hard. Nothing was coming out. He heaved again, and again, and again, but he wouldn’t throw up. His body was making him, but the food tasted so good. He was going insane with hunger. 

Rei woke up to the sound of the bowl shattering and sat up in bed with a grumble. What was going on? It was only one thirty in the morning. He heard clashing and gagging and the thuds of things being thrown around.

Nagisa had started on a cup of almonds, barely even chewing them before swallowing. He gagged again. He was heaving as he reached into the fridge and grabbed a piece of cooked chicken. He ate that too. 

He didn’t notice that Rei was standing in the kitchen, staring in absolute horror and fear at the sight before him. Tupperwares and plates and tubs were strewn all over the floor, ice cream beginning to melt into a sickening pink puddle, stems of vegetables in the corner, cereal spilled and in a crushed mess. 

Nagisa was heaving again. Then he started crying. He looked up with pure fear in his pink eyes and saw Rei. The blue-haired boy rushed over as he started to wail. “I can’t do it!,” he cried as Rei pulled him into his arms. He held him close, and rocked them in the puddle of strawberry ice cream and apple juice. 

“It’s okay Nagisa,” Rei murmured, kissing his temple, then his cheek, then his lips. “We’ll get through this… together. I swear to you.” Nagisa just nodded and let out a shuddering sob. He didn’t gag again, but he still felt sick. 

Energy was seeping back into his skin, into his essence; he could feel the strength returning as he got to his feet. Rei helped him back to bed even though he could walk on his own.

They both stripped of their clothes, for they were stained with food and drink. Rei curled up and pressed Nagisa’s naked form to him as hard as he could. He wanted him to know he was there. Nagisa saw what he was trying to do, and ended up smiling in the end. 

They’d clean up the mess in six hours when their alarm went off, and they’d go out to plant a bomb before uploading a new video to the web. 

The detectives were given a new set of orders. They had someone from out of the country coming in to take over the case. Rin and Sousuke were angry, and went out to drink to their emotions. 

A tall man in central Japan with sparkling green eyes and a calm demeanor broke down on an empty subway train as he watched the terrorist videos. He knew those boys. He was to blame. God damn him. 

Three hundred and twenty four miles away, on a government issued jet, a boy with silky black hair and dead blue eyes sat in a chair with a glass of sparkling water in his hand. He was surrounded by men in black suits and earpieces, and even though they struggled to stay awake, he wasn’t tired one bit. 

_“Hello Japan, my old friend…”_ he whispered in perfectly twisted English.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't worry I'm planning to make this have more plot as it goes on. 
> 
> Thank you everyone who's reading this story! This story means a lot to me, and it means a lot to know people like it. Kudos and comments keep me going! :D
> 
> Now about Ai, I don't really plan to make him a main main character. Sure he'll be involved with Rei and Nagisa at one point, but he won't have as big a role as Lisa did in ZNT.


	4. I See You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Haru is back in Japan and he's frustrated and annoyed with how people treat him. Nagisa and Rei plant another bomb on a train, and spend the rest of the day in each other's company.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have a shitty short chapter hahaha
> 
> Hey I'm super sorry that I haven't been updating lately. I'm prob not going to for a whileeeee. I'm going on this weeklong trip so I'm gonna try to write as much as I can before then :0

The flight was tiring. The airfare was expensive. Those damn agents were in his way again. “You’re in my way,” the boy grumbled, pushing past two agents to walk in the front. “We’re in a hurry, and you walking as slow as you can isn’t doing anything.”

His Japanese was clear as glass, cutting through the air like thin, freezing ice. He walked with a purpose, each step faster than the last. He had to get the the police headquarters and gain access to their files. He needed to see the data and code running through the screen’s pixelated wall. 

The exhilaration of being able to do something like this rushed through his blood, his veins, like a river. A river that was prepared to overflow. Being held back for so long was a feeling he hated, loathed even. Americans were useless.

A sleek black car was waiting outside, and the boy knew it was for him. It looked out of place, just like him. He climbed in and waited. The other got in another car behind his. They drove off to a unknown location to finally get down to business. 

As the car drove silently down the road, moving sleekly from lane to lane, around cars, over a bridge, the boy couldn’t help but think about how the others were doing. The others.

He couldn’t call them his friends really. They were forced to know each other in the Institute. They were basically forced to be friends. He wondered if they had changed at all since they escaped that awful place. 

He coughed into the back of his hand, looking out the tinted windows and into the city streets. “I forgot how much this city disgusts me,” he growled, tapping his fingers on the refines leather of his seat. “I never thought I’d be back in the same city as I left.” He had bad memories of this place. He hated it. 

The agents in the front seats just grunted in response, and the boy grumbled something under his breath. The fact that his boss had set him up with the most stoic, emotionless guards ticked him off. He needed someone to talk to, someone to not just say “yes sir”. 

They soon pulled up to a large building, the letters of the sign shining brightly against the sign. The police. Yay. He was so excited. All he cared was getting online and being left alone with the others. The terrorists as they were called. 

The door next to him opened, and his boss shot him a small smile. “Haru,” he murmured, holding out a hand for the boy to take. Haru smacked the hand away, getting out of the car and walking towards the entrance of the building with a snarl. 

“Just get the fuck off already,” he grumbled. “I can get out of the car by myself.” He sounded like a spoiled brat, and really, he was. Only in front of others. Only in front of them. He had been treated like a king ever since he was rescued from the Institution. He didn’t feel like a king. 

The multiple responses of “yes sir” echoed as they entered the building, causing Haru to walk faster. “The board is in the meeting room down the hall,” his boss said, struggling to keep up with the black-haired boy’s pace. Icy blue eyes glared up at him. The boss felt chills. 

The agents’ steps were in tune, the dull ‘tap tap tap’ caused detectives to look up from their work, analysts to stare, others to stop talking. Haru felt awkward. There were too many people to keep a track of. He couldn’t concentrate and ran into a wall. 

His gift? Enhanced intelligence that went beyond the scales. Titled as the King of the U.S. federal bureau. The man with no emotion. The downfall? He liked to analyze people, see what was hiding behind their masks. When there were too many people in the room, he cracked. 

The agents and his boss instantly swarmed around him, asking him if he was okay. He felt his face grow red in embarrassment and he shoved them off hurriedly. “I’m fine!,” he snapped. “We have a meeting to get to.” He quickly walked away, yanking the door of the meeting room open and walking inside. 

Great. More men in suits. Haru hid his face from them, spotting a chair in the corner and going to sit in it. His boss entered the room moments after he turned away from the men and towards the window. 

The meeting went on for hours. He didn’t like going into details, so he sat there silently as his boss talked with the board. He picked up bits and pieces when he was actually focused on the conversation, such as little known facts about the terrorists, the types of bombs they used, and how they could do anything next.

“But what do you really know about them?,” he intervened, as the meeting began to come to a close. Everyone turned to Haru in surprise, seeing that he had finally turned to face them. His eyes were blank, staring up at the board with an amused smirk.

“They’re teenagers of course. About my age for sure. I feel like I know who they are too.” His smirk only grew, a look of playfulness lighting his features as he captivated everyone’s attention. 

“Just leave this to me fellas,” he chuckled, standing up from his chair and walking over to the door. “Let’s go,” he ordered, the agents filing out after him as he headed into the hallway. “Can I borrow your phone?,” he asked one of them, taking the black cellphone from their hands and unlocking the screen easily. 

He typed two words and sent it to an unknown source. The agents shared a look of uneasiness and confusion as Haru returned to phone to its owner, just walking silently with a small smile. 

_Miss me?_

 

“It’s good that you’re eating the omelet,” Rei mused, watching as his blonde friend cut into his omelet and took a small bite. He looked up and smiled, egg hanging from the corner of his mouth.

“You fink fo?,” he mumbled through a mouth full of egg, swiping his tongue across the corner of his mouth to get any crumbs. He swallowed with a cheery smile. “I’m not that hungry but I thought I’d at least try to eat some of it.”

Rei nodded in agreement, looking down at his own half-eaten omelet with a sigh. “We need to talk,” he grumbled, adjusting his glasses with a frown. Nagisa looked up from his food with confusion, head tilted to the side slightly. 

“I got a weird text this morning,” he continued. Nagisa just shrugged and went back to shoveling the omelet into his mouth. “I think it’s from Haru.” Now at that, Nagisa froze, swallowing what he had in his mouth and letting out a silent breath.

“Are you sure?,” he rasped. “I thought we were the only ones left. And how would he get your number?” Rei shrugged, pulling out his phone and sliding it across to Nagisa. 

The blonde stared at the text (it was in English as he could tell), and without another word, he took the phone and smashed it into the ground. Rei didn’t make a move to stop him. They had to make sure they couldn’t be traced.

They were both quiet now. Nagisa reached into his pocket and pulled out a cigarette, lighting it and holding it to his lips. The room smelled like basil from the omelet and smoke from the blonde’s pale lips. He held it out to Rei, but the taller boy didn’t take it. 

“We have to go plant the new bomb,” he rasped, voice scratchy. He suddenly felt sick, the trickles of his nightmare worming its way into his head. Nagisa nodded, sucking in a large breath from the cigarette before standing. He went off to the other room, combing back with a box.

Cigarette ash fell to the floor, but neither cared. “Uniforms,” Nagisa said, opening the box and pulling them out. “We need to look like handymen. The fire extinguisher is over by the door.” Rei nodded and took his uniform, getting up to go get ready.

Nagisa put out his cigarette in the remains of his omelet, puffing out a breath of smoke before walking off to get ready himself. 

It didn’t take long to place the bomb. No one suspected that they were anything other than handymen coming to replace the fire extinguishers. Once they were walking out of the subway, Rei took Nagisa’s phone and activated the timer. 

“You upload the video,” he grumbled. Nagisa just nodded and slid another cigarette out of his pocket, lighting it and taking a long drag while typing something quickly into his phone. “And stop smoking those things…”

The blonde just giggled, tapping the end to let some ash fall to the ground. “You worry too much Rei,” he said through pursed lips, keeping the cigarette there as he shoved his phone back in his pocket. “The video was uploaded.” A pause. “Wanna go get some ice cream?”

The blue-haired boy couldn’t help but chuckle, looking down at Nagisa with a warm smile. A smile only he would let him see. “Of course,” he murmured. “What would a day be without ice cream?” 

Nagisa giggled, taking another drag on the cigarette before looking up at Rei with playful eyes. “You look really happy today,” he mentioned, wrapping his arm around the taller boy’s as they walked.

He could’ve sworn Rei blushed. He just adjusted his glasses and looked away. Yep, he must have been blushing. There was a trash can nearby, and Nagisa put out his cigarette on the edge of it before letting out a breath. “Can I get a kiss?,” he asked, smiling cheekily up at Rei.

Rei just turned bright red before staring down at Nagisa. “N - no,” he stammered. “We’re out in public.” Nagisa broke into loud laughter and slapped his knee. 

“I was just joking Rei,” he snickered. “Maybe when we get home then.” His friend nodded before stopping, looking up at the sign of the nearest shop with a small smile.

“Here’s the shop,” he murmured, and the two went in to buy their ice cream. The chiming of the bell was music to Nagisa’s ears, and hummed while he ordered a large bowl of strawberry ice cream. Life was okay. They could deal with okay.

 

When Haru finally got to the extravagant condo that the boss had insistently told him to stay in, the first thing he did was head to the bathroom. The walls and floor were covered in expensive marble, the shower large and the glass see-through. 

He turned on the shower with a small hum, listening as the rushing of water filled the room. He could finally be alone. Sure, the agents and his boss were in an apartment directly below his, but here he could truly be himself, relax, let the tension melt away…

He walked over to the bathroom counter and laid a music player neatly on the stand of a large speaker. Classical music poured into the room along with the water, and he hummed again. 

He headed back to the shower, standing outside of it and shedding himself of his clothes. His gray shirt and black cardigan slid off, exposing pale shoulders. The bathroom was cold. He could feel the chill on his back.

Once he was fully undressed, he stepped into the water and let out a pleasured sigh. The water was cold, but he didn’t want it to be warm anyway. It ran down his back and through his hair and curled around his thighs with a pleasant gracefulness that he didn’t want to stop feeling.

He could feel a warmth creeping up his back and neck even through the cold water. His breaths were shaky. He’d be ashamed if he ever told anyone that it was pleasurable to sit under the flow of a shower. 

That’s why he loved being alone. There was nothing to hide. He could be himself without a single care in the world. He smiled a genuine smile for the first time that entire day and ran his fingers through his met mop of hair. 

He didn’t get out of the shower for two hours, the only reason why he actually left being that his boss had come to his door out of concern. “I’m fucking fine,” he grumbled, not caring that all he had one was a pair of torn sweatpants as he dried his hair with a towel. “Stop checking in on me.”

The boss just stepped into the room, watching silently as Haru walked away and into the sitting room. “It’s just protocol Haru,” he muttered. “We have to check on you to make sure you are in complete safety. It’s our job. You’re important to us.”

Haru scoffed, slinging the towel over his shoulder and collapsing onto the couch. “Important huh? For what, bomb retrieval duty?” He looked up at his boss with questioning eyes. He knew it was wrong to continuously talk back to his boss and higher-up, but he was tired of it all.

The answer wasn’t what he expected. “Yes,” growled the boss, and Haru felt his eyes flutter open in shock. “That is exactly why you are here. To assess the situation and get those two terrorists into a federal prison. 

Haru stared at him, stunned. It took him a few moments to process his words, but once he did, he erupted in anger. “I don’t care if you’re my fucking boss, I do things the way I want to,” he snarled. “That is never going to change.”

“Whatever you say Haru,” the boss grumbled. “Just do your damn job.” And with a flourish, he left the room, slamming the door behind him. 

The boy just sat there, slightly damp hair cold against his skin. He was glaring at the floor, and frown on his face as a single tear trickled down his cheek. No weakness. He was told not to have any weakness.

He wouldn’t have any weakness. He had things to do, and people to see. Nagisa and Rei could be in an apartment right below him and he’d have no idea.

He would find them. He would expose them.

He would make them crumble beneath him in a shivering heap of devastation and defeat.


	5. The Past Can Haunt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things don't go according to plan for Nagisa and Rei. Ai is finally added to their twisted game, and Makoto can't help but be haunted by his past. He just can't escape it.

Being a scientist at the Institute was never Makoto’s plan. In high school, he had been told that he could do great things, that he was kind enough to be a pediatrician, smart enough to make a lot of money. He wanted to be a doctor, and his dream came true soon after college. 

Just a few months into his life of being known as _‘Dr. Tachibana’_ , he had received a pristine white card in the mail with handwritten calligraphy in golden ink. _You have been recognized by our board and invited to the Grand Opening of the Tensai-Ji Program. We have a new building opening soon, called the Tensai-Ji Institute. We’re looking for gifted doctors and your skills are needed. Please join us at the Grand Opening on July 23rd._ Of course he accepted. 

Showing up at the convention with bright eyes and buisness cards tucked into his back pocket, he felt exhilarated to be surrounded by doctors old and new, experienced and just barely trained. Everybody filled out a small card of information over glasses of champagne, ears tuned to a speech on a nearby stage. Only a quarter of the doctors were chosen. Makoto was the second one picked for the program. 

Being a young doctor in this time and age, with the new technology surpassing the old by a mile, he couldn’t wait to see what stood behind the crisp white doors of the Tensai-Ji Institute, the smell of lemon cleaner and baby wipes filling the air. He didn’t expect a group of children huddled together in the center of a room, eyes wide and scared. 

He just told himself to stay calm. Their boss would explain. He would wear a white lab coat and tight black gloves and direct the children to cell-like rooms with iron beds that creaked when they laid down in them. He’d take a child into the Testing room every day and listen to their whimpers as he injected medicines and drugs into their small veins. No one ever explained it to him.

It wasn’t until he had asked one of the other doctors on their lunch break what exactly they were doing. This doctor was young like him, having stunning orange hair that the children played with whenever someone wasn’t looking. He always had a bright smile on his face, telling Akira jokes to keep her from crying every time she was hooked up to an enhancement machine. 

“We’re here to help enhanced children,” Seijuurou said, peeling off his gloves and washing his hands under a steady flow of boiling water. “At least that’s what I was told. I thought it was a super cool opportunity so, why not take it right?” Makoto just simply nodded and looked away.

After a year, it became tiring and he seemed to lose the light in his eyes. He could see Seijuurou losing his spark over time as well, getting cranky and lazy and wincing whenever a child cried. They rarely cried now.

It wasn’t until Akira, the weakest of all the children, passed away in her sleep. Seijuurou had been personally assigned to her, since she was overly shy and he seemed to be the only one to calm her down, and his wail had rung through the Institute as he went to go find her after she failed to get up for breakfast. Makoto had never felt so scared in his life.

These children were _dying,_ and it was all because of him. It was all because of the drugs and the tests and the green drinks that they poured into their small bodies. Maki died next, then Yama. They all began to drop like flies, and with every passing day, Makoto’s insomnia only grew stronger to the point where he wouldn’t sleep for weeks on end. 

Soon, when there weren’t many children left, he and Seijuurou were assigned to the strongest boys in the Institute. Their names were Rei, Haru, and Nagisa, and they always seemed to be attached at the hip (mainly Nagisa to Rei). The little blonde seemed to have every single sense enhanced, smelling lunch from several miles away and tugging on Rei’s sleeve whenever he wanted to be praised for remembering something complex. 

There were barely any books in the Institute, so on the rare days that Makoto was let out of the Institute to get something (one occasion simply being that a family friend had died and that he had a funeral to be at) he would buy things for the boys. He’d hide them in his socks and tuck them in the back of his pants. No one could know.

Rei got a book for his birthday. He could read amazingly, and he was able to calculate things within a minute without even thinking about using a calculator or piece of paper. The book was all about life, how bugs and mammals and fish coincided in the planet outside of the Institute. He read it over and over until he memorized the words on every single page. He’d say little facts to the little blonde friend that followed him around, fascinating him.

Nagisa got an eraser once. It was simple. A small butterfly that he used whenever he wanted to write something on the wall, or under his bed. He used it up within three weeks though, but Makoto had secretly stashed a box in his mattress. Whenever the boy asked, he’d give him a new one. 

Haru was quieter, and he seemed to distance himself from the other two slightly. Makoto found it easiest to work with him, and soon took over Haru’s tests, meals, bathtimes. He saw Haru smile once. Once. But it was enough to let him know that there was something other than Nagisa’s fake happiness to light up the Institute.

The small black-haired boy would always ask Makoto if the other children would be happier where they were now, buried six feet under the ground. The doctor just smiled warmly and patted his head. “Of course Haru,” he murmured. “Anywhere would be happier than here.” He meant it. 

Makoto and Haru would talk all the time. The boy never asked for gifts, nor did he want any. Makoto insisted at some points, giving him a pastry or a picture of the beach. Seijuurou loved the idea and told stories about the beach and pools and volleyball instead of their required stories. He got punished once, but his fiery spirit could care less.

It seemed that only Haru and Rei knew that the other children had died, leaving Nagisa to deliriously skip through the halls after dinnertime and call out to his other friends to read a quick story before lights out. Makoto couldn’t find it in his heart to tell the small boy that his friends wouldn’t read another story with him.

Nagisa found out eventually. Makoto found himself staring blankly at the white tile floor as he ran a hand through Nagisa’s hair, trying to muffle his screams and cries with his coat. It was past midnight. No one was allowed to know he was so nice to the children. 

“It’s okay…,” he whispered. “They’re all happier now. They’re safe Nagisa. They’re safe.” Footsteps sounded down the hallway and he would quickly straighten Nagisa up and pretend to be scolding him for getting up in the middle of the night. He’d get extra enhancement treatment the next day. He hated saying that. Nagisa cried again.

Then, late at night on a hot, musky summer evening, the doctor shot up to the sound of piercing alarms ringing throughout his room. They rang through every hallway, every room, every courtyard. Nagisa and Rei had escaped. He had run out into the field to see the boys staring at him, Rei on the other side of the fence with his arms outstretched to catch the smaller boy. Makoto just nodded at them, Nagisa fell, and they disappeared. That was the last time he had ever seen or heard of them. 

Haru was taken by the U.S. government two weeks later, being the last child at the Institute. It was deemed dangerous for children and shut down, the boy screaming for Makoto as he was taken away. His cries were drowned out by the sound of the chopper, and Makoto felt his life split in two as the Institute closed for good. 

He refused to be a doctor afterwards. He had taken several jobs over the years; a swim coach at a local elementary school, a librarian, a clerk at a convenience store. He had taken a chance at love a few times, but found that he just wasn’t one for that life, and gave in to live in a secluded apartment by himself. 

Now Rei and Nagisa were back. At least, he thought that was who they were. He had seen the videos on the news, online even. After seeing a blonde curl or two from one boy and the tall lankiness of the other, he couldn’t help but assume it was them. The dynamic duo. The strongest of them all. The survivors. 

A building went down. He had a panic attack. For the first time in his life, he was honestly scared. He was one of the only people left that knew what those boys were capable of, and it was possible that those were the boys behind the camera screen. 

Now he sat on a train, music pouring through his headphones as he tried to relax from a long day of work. All those thoughts running through his mind were tiring him out; he just wanted to go home and enjoy a bowl of shoyu ramen with a nice book in his hands. Yeah. That sounded nice. 

Makoto couldn’t help but wonder where Haru was now. He hoped he was given a nice life in the United States. Hell, he might even know English right now for all he knew. Makoto smiled gently, then looked down at his phone. A click here, a tap there. There wasn’t anything new on the news. Interesting. 

He leaned back, head resting on the window as he hummed along to his music. Everything was okay. He was happy.

 

“Do we even know who these people are?,” Rin growled, pounding his fist on his desk in frustration. “Why do we have to bring the U.S. government into this? This has absolutely nothing to do with them.” Sousuke just shrugged and took a swig from his water jug. 

“I’m just as confused as you are Rin,” he muttered. “Calm down.” There was a pause of silence, a quiet sip from Sousuke’s water, a breath. Rin shifted in his seat and spun his badge around on the table with a groan.

He glanced up at the clock, seeing it was close to six in the afternoon. Six in the afternoon… What did that remind him of? “Oi, Sousuke,” he grumbled, pointing to the clock with a frown. “Wasn’t something supposed to happen at six today?” His partner immediately sat up, and Rin’s eyes widened once he saw the horrified look on his face. 

“The bomb,” he choked out, snatching his coat off the chair and getting to his feet. “It’s supposed to go off at six Rin. The U.S. government is in charge, but have you seen a single news article about how they stopped it?” Rin paled. 

There had been a video the afternoon before, clearly telling them it was in one of the most used, and most popular places in the city. Rin and Sousuke had already figured out that it was one of the more popular trains (even though there were several to choose from), but the chief hadn’t taken their warnings seriously and simply said _‘It’s up to the U.S. now’._

Why hadn’t anyone stopped it yet? That was the real question. Sousuke tried to turn around to begin running out of the building, to tell anyone, someone, that something was going to happen. Rin just grabbed his wrist and pulled him back. Teal eyes met red, and Rin shook his head. It wasn’t worth it. They couldn’t figure it out in time. 

Sousuke felt his heart drop at the motion, his body growing heavy as he forced himself to move back to his chair and sit down. He would never let Rin see it, but he was trembling slightly. They were detectives. Detectives who couldn’t do anything.

“We can’t do anything,” Rin whispered. “They said the U.S. would take care of it. We have to trust them.” Sousuke nodded blankly. He didn’t want to believe him, but he was right. They both sat there, Sousuke back to drinking his water with a trembling hand. Rin played with his badge again, then with darts, and then just sat there. 

Aiichirou Nitori was sitting on a bench outside the train station with a cup of yogurt in his hand, waiting for the sun to go down. Rei and Nagisa were screaming in their apartment, Rei running after Nagisa as they sprinted to the nearest station they could find. Five minutes left. 

Rin glanced up at Sousuke with a tilted smile. “Want to grab a bite to eat in a little?,” he joked, voice raspy. “I’m sure the smoke will clear away by then.”

 

Lemon yogurt wasn’t his favorite. It could be bitter if it wasn’t made right, or it could be far too sweet to even be called lemon. As Ai took a bite, he screwed up his face before swallowing. It was far too sweet. 

It was yet another day without Kichirou and Akira showing up to school. By that point, Ai just assumed they had disappeared off the face of the earth. They’d certainly forgotten about him, that’s for sure. Him and his ugly scars.

He had a large duffel bag slung over his shoulder, resting on the bench next to him as though it were his friend. He had his books, schoolwork, clothes, necessities. They were all in there. Nothing important. But nothing that could be forgotten. 

Running away wasn’t a thought in his mind until the other night. When he decided he had had enough. He was running out of bandages, and having a headache every night from getting pounded against the wall was getting old. He wanted adventure, a life. 

Now and then he’d think that he’d see the blue hair of Kichirou in a crowd, or hear the bubbly laughter of Akira somewhere. Maybe he was just imagining things. He hadn’t eaten since the day before after all. 

He sat on a bench right next to the entrance to the subway. It wasn’t an ideal place to stay, but he liked hearing the very faint sound of trains running down the tracks as the people walked by on the surface. The sun was beginning to go down, painting the sky blood red. 

Akira ran by him. Wait. _Akira?_ Ai quickly sat up and watched as the familiar blonde sprinted down the stairs to the subway in a panicked hurry. The red coat he wore was far too big. The silver-haired boy tilted his head to the side with a frown. He _had_ to be seeing things.

When the blonde didn’t return, Ai just shrugged and turned back to his yogurt. There were only a few spoonfuls left, so he shoveled some into his mouth and winced at the sweetness. He was glad that he had bought a bottle of water to go along with it. He took a long swig but choked, coughing a bit before relaxing. 

He was a mess. A maze of cuts on his arms. His eyes were tired. Bags were under his eyes. He couldn’t stop thinking about his mother. He couldn’t stop seeing Akira and Kichirou everywhere he went. Maybe he was going crazy. Mentally insane. The only thing keeping him from snapping was a cup of stupid, sugary lemon yogurt. 

Ai sighed, tossing the yogurt in the trash and taking another swig of his water. There was a large rumble beneath him, and he felt dizzy as people screamed. Were people screaming? Why were they screaming? That was weird. 

He turned to see smoke and dust flying out from the subway entrance, the ground cracked slightly. How he hadn’t noticed it sooner, he didn’t know. People were piling out of it, some covered in dust and some having blood trickling down from small cuts here and there. Someone was calling an ambulance, the police, anyone. 

“What happened?,” Ai called to a passerby. The woman just stared at him blankly before pointing at the stairs. A train exploded. That’s what happened. Everyone had escaped she said. 

Ai looked out and scanned the crowd for the blonde in the big red jacket. He didn’t see him. His heart beat fast, breathing fast as he got to his feet and called out for him. “Akira!,” he cried. “Akira! Where are you Akira!?” The dust cleared, and people left. The police would be there soon.

Finally, the blonde came into sight, panting heavily as he carried a limping boy on his shoulder. Kichirou. Blue hair. It was them. Kichirou was bleeding heavily from his leg, glasses gone, cuts and tiny shards of glass stuck in his cheek. 

The blonde looked over at Ai and their eyes met. He gasped and waved him down. “Ai!,” he yelped. “I need your help!” It was Akira after all. The pair limped over to Ai, and the boy quickly hopped up to help Akira with Kichirou. “He hurt his leg,” the blonde whimpered. “Help me get him home, please.”

Ai simply nodded, slinging his bag over one shoulder and slinging Kichirou over the other. They quickly hobbled off (Ai didn’t know why they were going so fast) and it wasn’t until they were away from the site that they laid down in the grass. 

“I’m not Akira,” the blonde whispered, trying to regain his breath as his friend winced and clutched his leg next to him. “This is Rei,” he continued. “And I’m Nagisa.” His pink eyes flickered up to meet Ai’s, and the silver-haired boy felt chills run down his spine. Nagisa’s finger was pressed to his own lips. 

“We’re terrorists Ai. You can’t tell anyone.” Ai felt his eyes widen in horror and shock. Nagisa just smirked and clicked his tongue. _“Shhhh….”_

 

He was wrong. So wrong. Makoto may have thought he had been having a good day, his happy music causing him to tap his foot on the train floor as he scrolled through his social media with a hum. Everyone was calm. The next station was coming up. He had two left, so he just clicked on another app and played around with it.

The train stopped, but he frowned when he saw that no one was coming in. There was a weird smell in the air, and he looked up to see a thick white fog pouring into the train. He stared in horror, frozen in his spot. What was happening?

Everyone had evacuated except for him. He took out his music to look around, seeing no danger, but hearing screams. Was it even safe to go outside? A dark figure parted through the fog, and he wished he had brought his glasses so he could make out who it was a lot easier.

A tall man with blue hair and sharp eyes stepped in, looking around frantically and looking disoriented. He had a small backpack on his back. He had a gun in his hand. “Where’s the fucking fire extinguisher?,” he snarled into a phone in his other hand, waving the fog away and looking around. 

“Are you sure it’s in this damn car Nagisa? I swear to god if it’s not we’re royally fucked.” Makoto felt all the color drain from his face. Nagisa. Nagisa. He said Nagisa. Why did he say Nagisa? His breath hitched as the tall man turned to him and met his gaze. He stared for a moment. “Nagisa there’s someone still in the train,” he rasped. “I think it’s Dr. Tachibana.” 

Makoto stood up, staring at the man with an open mouth and wide eyes. “Rei?,” he choked out. Rei just stared for a moment before dropping both the gun and the phone on the floor. 

“Get down!,” he screamed, and he leapt at Makoto, knocking him to the ground with a strong tackle. Both fell into the corner of the train car. Then it exploded. Makoto felt a surge of heat around him, glass and metal grazing him as he screamed. Rei was huddled over him, trying to protect him. His leg was caught under a piece of metal from the train.

Once everything had calmed down, Makoto pushed Rei off of him to look around. A blonde boy was standing just feet away, staring with a small smile. “Dr. Tachibana,” he laughed. “You nearly killed Rei. That would’ve sucked.” He came over and shook Rei, helping him lift the piece of metal off and get to his feet. The smile on his face looked chilling in the light of the fire surging around them.

“I suggest you get out now,” Nagisa said, pointing out the door. “We’ll leave after you Doctor. I have to make sure Rei’s okay.” Makoto just numbly nodded and scrambled to his feet, stumbling out the door and drunkenly making his way to the stairs. 

It was Rei and Nagisa. The two boys who escaped. That terrifying smile on Nagisa’s face reminded him of a broken doll. He had broken them. They were the terrorists. He was to blame. He wouldn't sleep that night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> omg school starts in a week blehhh. i'm trying to get as much writing done as possible beforehand haha
> 
> I decided that Ai will be in the story a bit more than I originally planned. Also, in case anyone was wondering why Nagisa's alias is Akira, and there was a girl named Akira at the Institute - Rei and Nagisa took their alias names from the first few children that died. 
> 
> Tensai-Ji means 'gifted child' or 'child prodigy'.
> 
> And yes Makoto is older than Haru, Rei, and Nagisa by a good 15 years. Sousuke and Rin are older than the three by about 20. They oldddd
> 
> And this has a hella slow build sorry X,,D. We're getting to the dramatic stuff so don't worry.


	6. Shadows on Simple Days

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rin and Sousuke reminisce in their past - both in different ways. Ai is trying his best to fit in, but then again, how do you just fit into the life of two famous terrorists? Rei is stressed, and Nagisa is having secret reservations.

Rin couldn’t remember the last time he and Sousuke hadn’t been swamped with work. Well, he could remember, but after having to deal with terrorists for a month with the weight of Tokyo resting on his shoulders, he felt numb inside. 

It had been many years ago, probably in college. The day he decided he would join the police force, Sousuke couldn’t help but stare at him. That’s all he did. He just stared. The look of fear in his teal eyes was enough to give the redhead chills before turning away to grab his lunch. 

College was simpler. Rin and Sousuke were close, not dorm-mates, but best friends. Everyone teased them for being close enough to be an actual couple, leaving Rin to snap at them and Sousuke to just look away. He was good at that. Staring and looking away. 

It was a calm night - the last day of school before their winter break. Neither one of them had work that day, so Sousuke joined Rin in his dorm room and shared a bottle of hard whiskey on his surprisingly soft couch. Rin wore pajamas, drinking from the bottle lazily with his legs draped over Sousuke’s lap. 

It was probably the action movie that they’d seen hundreds of times playing on Rin’s television, or the fact that the whiskey was given to them by an upperclassman (meaning it probably had vodka mixed in, and Rin couldn’t handle vodka), but they found themselves babbling stupid things to each other at one in the morning.

Still, it was a relaxing time. Rin would always laugh far too loud, snorting now and then to a silly face Sousuke would make from swallowing the burning liquor too fast. Then the night evolved into jokes about the police force, the pair making bad impressions and erupting with laughter whenever Rin fell off the couch.

By three in the morning, they had finished the whole bottle and were hanging all over each other. The movie had finished a long time ago, the starting menu playing over and over on a loop. Sousuke muttered something under his breath, and Rin just blinked up at him. 

“I can’t hear you ya’ shitface,” Rin grumbled, grabbing a chunk of his friend’s hair and pulling his head closer to his. It was probably too close, considering that their noses were almost touching and Rin could smell the intoxicating smell of alcohol on his tongue. Sousuke just mumbled it again, causing Rin to groan overdramatically. “Just say it louder already!”

Sousuke looked up to meet Rin’s gaze, small smile on his face. “I said I wanna join you,” he babbled, voice louder. “I wanna be a cop too, with you. I’m gonna join you.” Rin laughed a little and pushed at his chest, fingers still wound in his hair and keeping him close. He laughed about how he was good at jokes. Sousuke looked serious.

“I want to protect you Rin, “ he simply stated. “Is that wrong?” The redhead stared at him, then let out a drunken chuckle and a smile. He didn’t know what came over him (it was probably the booze), but he closed the gap between them with a messy kiss full of muffled noises and clashing teeth. 

Sousuke didn’t resist. In fact, he just simply kissed Rin back. It was sloppy - teeth were clashing and noses were bumping and the sound Rin made was far from pretty. It was more of a strangled moan, and Sousuke opened his glazed eyes to glance down and make sure he was alright. He’d never seen his friend more flushed than he was now. 

Without another word, he succumbed to the haze of alcohol and passion, kissing Rin harder and pushing him back on the couch. Marks were left. Hands slid under and carefully peeled off articles of clothing, the pile on the floor growing larger with each passing minute. 

They had sloppy, drunk sex that night. Rin was left with dark purple and red marks that he’d have to hide under sweaters and jackets in shame for the next week. Sousuke was scared of going to the gym and changing in the locker rooms, scratches on his back saying he had been doing anything other than schoolwork. 

“I’m sorry,” he apologized while waiting for Rin outside his dorm room one day. The redhead just shrugged and waved him off, taking out his key and opening the door with a frown. Sousuke saw regret in his eyes. 

“It’s okay,” he muttered, opening the door and stepping inside. He set his bag down on the table and looked back at Sousuke, eyes dark. “We all make mistakes sometimes.” 

That hurt. Looking back on it, Sousuke couldn’t think of anything to match the pain he felt from those words. The pair ignored each other for a while, but once they graduated college, they focused on rebuilding their friendship.

Now they were close as ever. Working in the detective agency together, Rin was happy that they wouldn’t be separated again. He had tried a few relationships with different girls over the course of a few years, but none of those relationships stuck. He didn’t mind. Sousuke didn’t date anyone.

Sousuke didn’t have the heart to tell Rin he loved him. It wasn’t because of the sex, he had felt that way for Rin a long time before. The alcohol just caused him to lose it finally and take it one step too far. 

Now, with the terrorists at large, neither had time to talk about anything other than work. Work this, work that, hey you want a coffee? It was the same routine every day, and while Rin found it busy and tiring, Sousuke found it boring and just _lacking_ something. But he didn’t know what. He had forgotten the love for Rin, although it was still there. 

After an exhausting day of work (they had solved the next riddle, but couldn’t do anything about it), Rin slept at Sousuke’s desk with his hair pooling around him. He was tired. He was done. He didn’t want to do this anymore. He didn’t stir as Sousuke left a note on the desk and draped his large jacket over his back. 

He was going out to get both of them dinner. It was a routine now - leaving Rin to rest as he bought them something to bring their energy back. It was a little chilly as he stepped outside, but the ramen shop wasn’t far from the police department. 

Not many people were out, seeing as it was late and most had gone home from work. Sousuke stuffed his hands in his pockets as he walked, humming a little tune as he made his way down the street.

Walking in his direction were two boys, the shorter of the two having his arm woven around the other’s arm. The taller one seemed to have a small limp, but the warm smile on his face as the blonde talked just showed that he didn't seem to care.

_They must be a couple to be that close,_ Sousuke thought to himself, smiling as he watched them talk. “Ai is super super cool Rei,” the blonde giggled. “Maybe letting him stay with us isn't a bad idea!” _Roommates even? Definitely a couple._

He walked by them, tilting his head with a grin as if to say hello. The blonde just laughed again and waved at him, while the taller one frowned and glanced away. Sousuke looked over his shoulder to see the the one named Rei bending over and whispering to the other. Why did they sound familiar…?

He shook off the feeling, seeing the ramen shop and hurrying to rush inside. He regretted not wearing his jacket. “Two to-go bowls of shoyu ramen please,” he said to the cashier, and waiting in the warmth of the shop with a sigh. He hoped Rin wasn't lonely. 

It didn't take long for him to get back to the department, and he shook his head as he saw Rin was still fast asleep. It was hopeless. He'd never wake up at this rate. He just sat down and opened his bowl of noodles. Thank whoever created ramen.

 

“I sewed that ripped patch in your jeans back together,” Ai smiled, holding up a freshly washed, repaired pair of jeans up to Rei. “I thought it would be too much trouble if you went to go buy another pair, and I got a bit bored being pent up in here so…” 

Nagisa glanced over at Ai, seeing the small boy proudly holding his work up to the light and pointing out where he sewed, and how he did it. There was a soft smile on Rei’s face, and the blonde couldn’t help but roll his eyes and giggle before turning back to the stove. 

It hadn’t been all that bad having Ai live with them. He refused to explain his situation to the pair of them, as to why all his belongings were packed in a duffel bag and his phone was turned off. Nagisa was determined to figure out what it was, but now was time for curry rice.

“Dinner’s ready!,” he called over his shoulder, snickering as their conversation quickly came to a halt. The blonde turned to place three large bowls of curry rice on the table, hurrying to get drinks for them as Ai rushed to the table with a hungry look in his eyes.

“I know Ai can sew, but I’m the best cook in this apartment.” The trio giggled - trio. It was weird to think of them as a trio. Nagisa and Rei weren’t used to having other friends. Nagisa had tried to make friends when they were younger, but everyone thought he was too weird, too cheerful.

Then again, Ai knew they were terrorists. Maybe he was doing it out of fear. Nagisa just put the thought aside, setting the drinks down and taking his seat. Rei was looking over at him through the corner of his eye. Nagisa just took a big bite of rice and smiled at him. He smiled back.

Both were secretly glad that the blonde had started to eat again. He was slowly getting his strength back, along with his hyper energy. Rei would be lying if he said he hadn’t missed it. 

“So, have you guys always been terrorists?” Rei choked on his drink at the question, coughing into his hand as Nagisa laughed. They definitely didn’t expect that out of nowhere. Nagisa nodded happily as Rei wiped his mouth with his napkin.

“Yep,” the smaller boy confirmed. “Well, we’ve been scheming and preparing for this for a long time, so maybe that doesn’t count?” He began to babble on about when they started, how Rei had worked in a nuclear plant while he went to school and learned how to drive a motorbike. He got a few glares from Rei as he began to tell too much, and stopped before going back to his dinner.

Ai just sighed and took a slow sip of his drink. “Do you guys really trust me enough to stay here?” The pair paused, glancing at each other for a moment before looking at the grey-haired boy. “I mean… what if I just ratted you out? I know where you live after all.”

A cold laugh from Rei. “Well Aiichirou. We’re trusting you. If you tell anyone about us, you’ll surely regret it.” Ai looked over at Nagisa, as if expecting him to add something on, or tell Rei he was being overdramatic. He just frowned and nodded. 

“Ah… I see.” He went quiet, beginning to eat his dinner after whispering a silent thank you. The trio ate in awkward silence, none of them knowing what to say after such a dark threat. 

“You don’t need to stay with us y’know,” Nagisa piped up. “If we’re scaring you, you can always leave. I can understand if you wouldn’t want to stay with a pair of terrorists.” He let out a cold laugh, and Rei glared at him again.

He reached under the table to pinch the blonde’s thigh, causing him to squeak in pain and clap a hand over his mouth to stifle a whine. “Sorry Rei,” he mumbled through his fingers, eyes casting down to stare at his food. Rei just got to his feet and walked off, muttering about how he wasn’t hungry.

“He’s stressed,” the blonde murmured, seeing how Ai stared after the blue-haired boy. “We got a threat from… from someone we know today. There’s going to be a bomb somewhere tomorrow, but he won’t tell us where, and Rei’s freaking out.” Ah. He was a little shocked at the mention of a bomb. They couldn’t figure it out, and their relationship was a bit tense. 

Ai nodded in understanding, though he didn’t understand why Nagisa wasn’t more scared about the bomb threat. 

Nagisa felt sick to his stomach again, the curry rice suddenly seeming unappetizing as he pushed the bowl away. Ai had to say something. He took a deep breath, and glanced over at the wall.

“My mother was abusing me,” he whispered suddenly, causing the blonde to look up in shock. “I wanted to leave and, honestly, living with you two is better than ever going back to her.” Nagisa blinked, and bit his lip before reaching over and placing a hand on Ai’s. He wanted to find out why he was staying with them - he definitely didn’t expect an explanation like that.

“You’re safe now.” The grey-haired boy couldn’t help but stare, tears gathering in the corners of his eyes as he heard the genuineness in Nagisa’s voice. His words were warm, welcoming even. How was he a terrorist? How? 

Ai trembled for a minute, clasping onto Nagisa’s hand like it was the only thing connecting him to the human world. To reality. “Thank you,” he managed to choke out. “That means a lot…” Another moment of silence.

“Let’s clean up and watch some television or something,” the blonde smiled, squeezing Ai’s hand one last time before standing. “Rei’s probably off figuring out our dilemma. But you and me - we should relax for a bit.” Ai found himself smiling through the tears. He was right. 

They watched a mix of comedy and cooking shows for a few hours, and it wasn’t until midnight that Nagisa began talking about when they should go to bed. “It’s pretty late,” he giggled. “I think we’re both exhausted, right Ai?” No response. “Ai?”

The boy was dead asleep, head on Nagisa’s shoulder. He seemed peaceful, and Nagisa smiled before gently shaking him awake. After a sleepy blink, he leaned over to whisper in his ear. “I’m going to bed.” Ai just nodded, laying down on the couch after the blonde got to his feet. 

_I wonder if Rei’s still up…_ The boy yawned loudly, stretching for a moment before groggily walking to his room. He was right. There sat the taller boy, face and wall illuminated by a large computer screen. His chin was in his hand, and his glasses were sliding off his face. Nagisa realized he was on the verge of falling asleep, and snickered. 

“Hey there sleepyhead,” he murmured, sliding his arms around Rei and resting his chin on the other’s head. “You should go to bed before you fall over.” There was a mumble of protest, but Nagisa couldn’t quite hear what he said. He slowly took off his glasses, rubbing his eyes.

“Airport,” he mumbled. “We have to go tomorrow. It’s…” He yawned, causing Nagisa to giggle and press a kiss to his head. “It’s important you know…”

Of course it was. Nagisa knew it was a life threatening situation. But somehow, even through the fear numbing him inside and out, he couldn’t help but feel at peace. Resting here - he wished they could be this domestic without having to worry about their videos, their plans, their lives.

“I’ll set an alarm for five,” the blonde whispered, leaning over to press more kisses to his cheek and temple. “Come to bed please.” As if his words were magic, Rei shut down his computer and stood, leaving his glasses on the table and leaning slightly on his boyfriend.

After a good five minutes of blindly stumbling around in the dark to find his pajamas, Rei gave up, opting to just sleep in his boxers. Nagisa protested, telling him how he’d get cold at some point in the night, but he was cut off with a squeak as he was pulled into bed. 

Nagisa was usually the one initiating this, but seeing the small pout on Rei’s face as he dragged the blonde into bed was irresistible. “I love you,” Rei muttered, wrapping his arms tight around the smaller boy. “I love you Nagisa…” 

He seized up. It was a rarity that he heard Rei say those words, and he couldn’t hide the bright smile on his face as he nuzzled his boyfriend’s neck. “I love you too,” he giggled. He snuggled closer, wrapping one of Rei’s leg with his own. “You’re so warm!”

The two shared a tired laugh before going silent. The silence. It was something they hadn’t heard for a long time. Nagisa realized that ever since their relationship started, ever since Ai came into their lives, there hadn’t been much silence.

He remembered the first night. The cigarette passed between each other’s lips in a sign of comfort. The lack of lights. The fireworks. If he was honest with himself, he was glad that it wasn’t quiet anymore. He loved hearing Rei talk. 

Rei fell asleep right away, his grip on Nagisa never wavering. But the blonde stayed up. He thought back to everything they’d done, everything they were going to do. When Rei said the airport, did that mean the bomb was there? What would happen if they didn’t make it in time? He felt on edge, in the shadow of danger. 

He saw how Ai looked at him when he mentioned the threat. _Why aren’t you scared?_ whispered blue eyes. _I know you’re a terrorist, but aren’t you a little afraid?_ He felt his sight go blurry as he buried his face in Rei’s shoulder. No. He wasn’t scared. 

He was terrified.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tadaaaaaaaaaaaa! Sorry I haven't updated in so long. School is really hard on me, and I'm super duper busy. Thank you to the people who commented saying they understand, and that they'd wait patiently. You're the real MVP. 
> 
> This story is a slow build. It's slooooooowly getting into the plot more. I introduced Ai a bit more and how he fit into this story. Sort of like Lisa, but it'll be a bit different. There will be more sides of Haru in the next chapter (such as thoughts from his past etc) and the airport scene will finally go underway!
> 
> Kudos and comments keep me goin'!


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